I’m not a big TV watcher, so it’s rare that I’m ever camped out in front of the TV for hours mesmerized by a certain show. There is only one night a year when this happens and it is…the Oscars! I just love watching my favorite celebs dress up in the most beautiful (or most heinous :)) gowns and seeing which movies take home the big awards. The fashion is so much fun to watch…but as an interiors nut, I also wait in anticipation to see the design of the Green Room every year. This cozy lil room is where the stars wait to present their awards and is located just steps from the stage, and from host Seth MacFarlane’s dressing room. This year’s Green Room was designed by acclaimed interior designer Madeline Stuart and had a very cozy lounge vibe to it.

Photograph by Roger Davies

Madeline wanted to give the room the feeling of Old Hollywood while also incorporating design elements of the 21 century. She said “My goal was to design a space where contemporary stars wouldn’t be surprised to bump into Cary Grant or Katharine Hepburn.”

The room may have been inspired by Old Hollywood, but there is nothing “Old Hollywood” about it when it comes to the decked out electronics in the room. Inside there are ten, yes ten 55″ Samsung Smart TVs. I’m sure the stars backstage didn’t miss any of the Oscar action!

Well done MS…can’t wait to see which designer is slated for next year’s Green Room!

It is now on Trulia going for an imaginary 25 million dollars which started last week, February 7th. Josh Altman is an agent in Malibu that works with all the celebrities in the area and is going to help Barbie sell what was once her “dreamhouse.” Don’t worry though, Barbie is set to move into a whole new house which will be unveiled this Fall!

Barbie- EJ Interiors would be more than happy to help you decorate your new pad and we PROMISE that not all of your furniture will be made out of plastic. Wink

Barbie’s former uber pink living room. The furniture seems kind of cold and stiff- especially that diamond tufting on her sofa…who was her upholsterer?

And that dining room Barbie….we have to get you some new pieces! We know you tried so hard to “mismatch” your table and chairs so it didn’t look like it came as a set, but it still looks very Pottery Barn. Please let us modernize this space! Is your chandelier colored murano glass? Looks like it and if so, bravo Barbie! The architecture is nice in here- let’s accentuate that!

Barbie’s kitchen is what you’d expect- pink, pink, pink but after all, this is 2012 and pink cabinets are just not the fad anymore (trust me Barbie, I just painted over mine!) I know the truth is harsh sometimes, but you really need to paint your cabinets white and install carrarra marble countertops. No, the veining is not pink, it’s gray but I think you could live with that right? Ok, ok we get it- you only want polished pink Tenessee marble.

And now for Barbie’s bedroom! Barbie is just not as young as she once was (sigh). Though her old bedroom is cute, it is also juvenile and screams “I’m still living with my parents”. Barbie, we would give you something mature and feminine, but also stylish. Do you really think Ken will ever pop the question if he knows this will be his future bedroom?

Well, maybe he would if he sees this fantabulous blue hot tub/bath combo complete with a partial pergola, overlooking the beaches of Malibu- (and not to mention, it’s about the only “manly” thing in this house!)

Ok Babs- we will hand it to you- your bathroom isn’t too shabby. It looks like you did some pink barbie subway tile with white beadboard above. We like this in theory, but I think you could switch this to 48″ high white beadboard below and wallpaper above. There are so many great wallpapers out there, what’s stopping you? The heart towel holders though have got to go- that’s where we draw the line!

Barbie, let’s cut to the chase. You need a decorator and we’ve long admired your style and have been wanting to work with you forever. It will be a win-win for everyone if we decorate your new house! To win you over, we’ve put together a presentation for you that you can show Ken, Skipper, Todd, Tutti, (and your parents Margaret and George Roberts) so you can get everyone’s seal of approval before committing.

Recently, Beverly Hills House Wife Lisa Vanderpump, her husband Ken Todd, and their dog Jiggy, moved into their newly remodeled Beverly Hills home…. well, mansion. At 8,000 square feet, it’s a downsize from their 15,500 square footer they just moved out of. Lisa’s reported net worth is valued at $65 million. So, with that being said, it’s no wonder she lives a life of lavishness! With pink as her trademark hue, she’s tricked out her new princess digs in the pretty color. Take a look at some of these “Before & After” shots of this glammed out Real House Wife of Beverly Hills super sumptuous pad.

Darker hardwood flooring, lighter upholstered furniture, painted trim work, chandelier and mirrored furniture transformed this once dark living area into a room fit for even Marie Antoinette to receive callers.

Next on the list is the dining room. Here’s what it looked like before:

And after:

The next area that got a major face lift was the outdoor living areas. Check out the before and after’s of this part of the estate:

Talk about a night and day difference! Love how you can lounge outside, yet still be under a fabulous chandelier at the same time! And, I’m totally obsessing over that infinity pool with it’s view of the famous ‘Hills’!

Check out the master bedroom. Major pink transformation!

Even Ken’s closet got a make over! I love how all the white and mirrors can still be made to feel masculine.

And here’s his closet after shot. I guess the love of pink is a mutual thing! Looks like he has more pink shirts than I do!

And now, without further ado, I give you the piece de resistance….. Lisa’s closet! (although, I feel like “closet” isn’t the correct terminology for this palatial dressing room). I don’t know whether I should stand and stare, or go shopping! This thing is so big, it needs not one, but TWO chandeliers!

OMG, am I in Hermes? Oh, no, wait, it’s just Lisa Vanderpump’s private closet! Check out all those Birkins! My mouth is watering!

Fashionista and trend setter are just two ways to describe this new Queen of Bling! If you haven’t already heard of this outstanding jewelry maker, there is a very good chance that you have unknowingly seen several celebrities wearing her fab colorful jewelry on the red carpet lately. She is EVERYWHERE!

I have to say that I was so out of the Kendra loop until last weekend when my friends Lindsey and Beth gave me some of her earrings for my birthday (there is a Kendra Scott store in the West Village, here in Dallas apparently). They were so adorbs that I had to put them on immediately and wear them out the rest of the night! It was such a fun surprise of a gift, and I should have known something was up when Lindsey called asking what my favorite color was earlier that day. You see, Kendra doesn’t just make jewelry in a couple of colors, she has a RAINBOW spectrum of options! The colors in her jewelry are even good inspiration for a room design..I’m loving the green onyx and orange coral.

A little bit about Ms. Kendra…she got her start back in 2002, making her gorgeous creations out of the spare bedroom in her Austin, Texas home. Today, you can find her fabulous earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets in three of her boutiques which are located in Dallas, Austin, and Beverly Hills. You can also come across her items at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and Lord and Taylor or purchase her beautiful bling on her website.

Reese Witherspoon sporting a pair of Kendra Scott earrings on the red carpet.

Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara in a pair a Kendra’s gorgeous chandelier style earrings.

One of the things I love about Kendra’s web site is the “color bar” feature. Here, you can create your own custom pieces with endless possibilities! What a marvelous way to complete an outfit, by making your own Kendra Scott custom jewelry! Below are just a few that I made on her web site that are sure to be showstoppers!

My husband gave his groosmen “themey” cufflinks last summer as gifts at our wedding…but I think Adrian or Geoff would have looked much more chic sporting Kendra’s teal cufflinks! (Ben however, might beg to differ

Take a look at a few of the other jewelry pieces that are available on her website! With her large selection of semi-precious stones set in gold or silver, there’s something to surely strike everyone’s fancy-

We had the great opportunity to recently interview HGTV’s Design Star winner, Danielle Colding! I’d been following Design Star season seven ever since it began and was on pins and needles at the end to see who was going to take home the title. Ultimately, Danielle’s name was called and ever since, her whole life has changed! Read to find out how this former professional modern dancer ended up with her own show and a Design Star title to boot!

Q: How did you get started in Interior Design? Did a specific situation spark your interest?

A: There wasn’t a specific situation that sparked me going down the interior design career path. But, when I look back home design is always something that’s been a part of my life. I grew up doing home repairs and changing rooms around with my mother on a regular basis…. And we loved to shop! When I decided to move on from my career in dance, I kept coming back to design as something I would love to do every single day. When I was contemplating a new career, I focused on choosing something I was passionate about, something that constantly changed (I hate to be bored), and something that forced me to grow and learn new things regularly. The chance to travel and shop all the time didn’t hurt either!

Q:How long have you been a designer and what is your personal design style?

A:I have been a working designer for eight years… gulp! My personal style is pretty eclectic with a definite bent towards the classic and elegant. In general, I love modern and traditional furnishings with clean lines and elegant detailing, accented by global and contemporary accessories and art. For me, it’s all about layering and mixing it up. I have always resisted defining my style in one catch phrase because I have been exposed to so many different styles that I love and always want my designs to evolve and respond to the project at hand with new eyes.

Q: How did you go about getting on the show?

A: I was encouraged by friends to try out for the show. They insisted that I could do well but to tell you the truth I wasn’t so sure. I never thought of myself as a public figure and didn’t know how I’d fair in front of the camera. During the audition process my mother was in the hospital at the end stages of her fight with cancer, so in many ways I simply felt I had nothing to lose. I went to the open call and it escalated from there. It just felt like everything lined up perfectly for me to have this experience on Design Star. And I’ve never looked back.

Q: What were the best and most difficult parts about being on the show?

A: The best part of being on the show was being in a very creative environment. All we did was design 24/7. The other great part of the experience was being with the other designers. I was shocked by what a supportive environment it was and how we all helped each other out. And, we laughed non-stop which really helped keep us sane. The hardest part was the sheer intensity of being in a competition AND making a TV show at the same time. It was non-stop. We did not have any time off and had to just keep producing and being creative. There were times that we just wanted a day to sleep or veg… but in the TV world that just wasn’t possible.

Q: How did you feel when they called your name as the winner of HGTV’s Design Star?

A: I still pinch myself thinking about that moment. It was truly a dream- confetti fell from the sky, a studio of people smiling at me with expectation, and a rush of emotions from shock and awe to gratitude and sadness. It was absolutely incredible. I had thought through both possible outcomes but really was not prepared for the experience of winning. It’s just not something you can fathom until it happens.

A: The funny part was that initially my life didn’t change very much. After Design Star ended, I couldn’t tell anyone anything about my experience or the outcome. It was a strange let down because I had this amazing secret that I had to keep completely to myself. Once I finally started shooting Shop this Room, the real change came about. My life became different because my career became different. I went from being a full time designer to being a TV personality who happens to shoot a design show. And unlike being a working designer, it’s not all about the design. It’s about shooting a show that is interesting and entertaining and brings something new to the table. From that perspective, it’s a whole new world. And…. I can finally talk about my experience! Woo hoo!

Q: You’ve started filming your new show, Shop This Room- what can we expect from the show in the future?

A: I am so excited about Shop This Room. It is a reflection of my design approach and who I am as a person and a designer. The show focuses on my life as a New York interior designer and my approach to designing highly personalized spaces. It’s about finding inspirational items- that speak to the home owners in some way- and designing spaces around them. The viewer gets an inside view into where I like to shop, my design process of developing a design plan, and the artists and craftsmen I work with on a regular basis. And we have a blast shooting- I have such a great team. Design should be fun and we try to bring that to the show as much as possible.

A: Whoa that’s a hard one. There is one on my show I absolutely love but cant talk about that just yet…. You’ll have to be patient and watch all five episodes!

I would have to say my favorite space I’ve designed is a home I have been working on for about one and a half years. It’s a gorgeous colonial house in Westchester and it just feels like the design has evolved over a lifetime. The thing that’s great is that every room is different and tells its own story. My client is one who is amazing to work with. She is thrilled by beautiful things and has a passion for art. We push each other to make the house as incredible as it can be. I simply love it!

Q: In your opinion what element should a room have to give it a designer look?

A: What I love to do in every space is focus on the decorative accessories. I love creating small vignettes by pairing decorative accessories with practical items. Creating moments in a room where interesting things are paired together with a focus on scale and textural interest achieves a designer look. Bookshelves and console tables are places to go wild!

Q: Our blog is called Material Girls so of course we have to ask you what is your material of choice?

A: That’s a great question. All the materials I’m drawn to in my work are natural elements. Its so hard to pick a favorite since I’m an equal opportunity material lover. But to answer, finally, I will say Belgian linen- I love it! Printed, plain, glazed… I don’t care. It is elegant and relaxed at the same time- the feeling I love to create in my work.

Q: What trends do you see coming to the forefront of design in the upcoming seasons?

A: The trend that I see and love is the willingness for people to take risks with the spaces they inhabit. Design has become such a part of our lives I think people realize that an overly designed, matchy matchy space is not desired. Instead being a collector of beautiful things over a lifetime is the goal. I like that this quirky approach to design is catching on and people are inspired to make their homes reflect who they are.

In honor of tonight’s Oscars, I wanted to share a very exciting and personal interview that I was fortunate to have with the designer of the Oscars Greenroom!! For this year’s 84th Academy Awards, Architectural Digest selected Waldo Fernandez, designer to the stars, to design their backstage greenroom! We were given the chance to have a private phone interview with Waldo, and Emily generously passed along the opportunity to to me (her assistant, Taylor) and I was so thrilled to do so! I could not wait to talk to Waldo about his glamorous design for the Oscars greenroom, but little did I know he would share amazing, personal stories about his relationships with some of Hollywood’s biggest names (including Elizabeth Taylor and Brad Pitt!!)

Here is a little background information on Waldo – Waldo Fernandez is one of Hollywood’s legendary interior designers. He came to the United States from Cuba to explore his passion for design and love of the arts. Waldo’s career began as a set designer for 20th century Fox, and his involvement in the entertainment industry led to his very successful career and large list of celebrity clientele. Fernandez’s impressive portfolio, spanning more than three decades, not only includes homes for an incredible roster of clients—Elizabeth Taylor, Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, and Darren Star among them—but also a number of commercial projects, such as the Beverly Hills Hilton and the West Hollywood Soho House club. So you can imagine how excited I was to talk him!!

Waldo was just as friendly and humble as he looks in the picture above!

Take a look at his fabulous design for the Architectural Digest greenroom, inspired by 1930’s and 40’s Hollywood glamour. Oscar greets you as you enter the gorgeous space! –

Waldo has a passion for furniture and said that for this space he wanted to start with only good quality furniture – no reproductions. To achieve the 1930’s and 1940’s Hollywood look of the greenroom he went back to his sources and selected only the highest quality furniture from the 20th century. He carefully selected Schumacher fabrics for the upholstery and told me that, “if you select beautiful fabric and good quality furniture, the whole room comes together.”

The color palette of the greenroom was inspired by his love of gray – specifically a cool gray wall finish from Donald Kaufman Color. From there, Waldo layered the color throughout the room in different tones and then added in the cream color with Schumacher upholstery fabrics. In all of Waldo’s designs he uses a neutral color palette because he believes that the art, furniture and fabric are what give life to the room. He believes the walls should be a soft color because it goes with anything and “walls without art are dead.” – We couldn’t agree with him more!

In a smaller sitting area, Waldo centered a Ruhlmann-style dining table beneath a simple chandelier from Circa Lighting. This is a perfect example of Waldo’s refined, glamourous style and his appreciation of quality furniture.

Here is Waldo lounging in the Oscars Greenroom with the amazing HP ENVY Spectre laptop. HP provided ENVY Spectre laptops for the greenroom so the celebs could keep track of the action online during the show!

Waldo was one of the nicest and most inspiring people I have ever had the pleasure of speaking with, so I am very excited to share this interview with you all! Here are more highlights from my amazing chat with Waldo –

Of course I had to start the interview with MG’s favorite quesiton: “What is your favorite material?”

Waldo replied that his favorite material would have to be fabric. He loves textural fabrics that are woven with beautiful materials – he does not like plain fabrics with prints. For the upholstery in the greenroom he selected an ivory Schumacher fabric that was a mix of cotton, rayon, wool, and silk – VERY luxurious! Of course Waldo could only select the best for the Oscars!

My next question for Waldo was whether or not he was going to attend the Oscars this year. Waldo replied that he was not attending, and that he preferred to spend the night at a friend’s house watching the show with a cocktail in the comfort of their living room. He said the bar was way too crowded at the Oscars! In past years, he spent the evening at his dear friend, Elizabeth Taylor’s home, just the two of them, watching the show. Then we talked about his history and friendship with Elizabeth Taylor – I was so star struck I could barely speak!! Here is Elizabeth Taylor in her home designed by Waldo Fernandez –

Waldo told me that the most memorable experience of his design career was his opportunity to work for Elizabeth Taylor and the close friendship that developed between the two of them over the years. He met her for the first time many years ago when he was “fresh out of Cuba,” he said he was shaking at their first meeting because he couldn’t believe he was talking to THE Elizabeth Taylor – I couldn’t even imagine! He recalled that, “She was sitting by the pool in a bathing suit with a reflector on her chest” – so glamorous! She told him that she was leaving for the Cannes Film Festival and needed her house finished in two weeks!! Like any designer would say, Waldo said, “That is impossible.” (Here was one of my favorite moments from the whole interview…) Elizabeth Taylor replied, “Nothing is impossible, my love.” – And amazingly Waldo finished her entire home in two weeks!

My next question for Waldo was, “If you were going to the Oscars who would you be most excited to see?”

Waldo told me that he would love to see his clients Angie and Brad!! (As a huge fan of both, I could not contain my excitement!) He told me that “Brad was fantastic and a pleasure to work with.” He said that he and Brad were a perfect match because, “Brad has a passion for architecture, good furniture, and art” just like himself! He said that Brad reads about design and architecture and really gets into it. – So from what Waldo told me, Brad really is perfect!!

I asked Waldo what his favorite room to design for Brad was and he simply said “the whole house.” I can imagine it would be hard to pick just one!!

Waldo also just finished a project for the writer of the Sex and the City movies, Darren Star! This project was featured in the February issue of Architectural Digest! Here is Darren’s living room -

To wrap up the interview, I asked Waldo, “What is one piece of advice you would give young, aspiring designers like myself?” He told me, “Never be scared talking to your clients, but still listen to them, and stick to what you believe is right.” Such wise words! He also told me that the most important aspect of interior design and being a designer is knowing scale – Once you understand scale you know how everything in a room works together! Thank you so much Waldo!

It really was a dream come true talking to Waldo and getting a behind the scenes look at the design of the Oscars greenroom! Thank you HP for this amazing opportunity! Be sure to watch the Oscars tonight and be on the lookout for the greenroom and Waldo’s beautiful design!

Our Material Girl dreams are coming true… Schumacher has announced that they are collaborating with THE Mary McDonald to create a fabric collection for 2013!! It is such a shame that we have to wait so long, but we thought it would be fun to predict what her amazing line will look like!

For those who don’t know, Mary McDonald is an acclaimed interior designer based out of L.A. and was recently on Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators. Her signature style is timeless, elegant, and modern all in one! There will definitely be some greek key, bold colors, black & white, luxurious silks and velvets, and funky animal prints in her line (at least we hope so!!)

There’s a little greek key in almost all of her designs. As you all know, we can never have enough greek key! She uses a lot of bolster pillows with greek key tape trim on the ends.

More Greek key pillows!

Gorgeous navy and pink room. Did you spot the Greek key bolster?

Her line is sure to have some bold geometric prints- possibly in black and white? She is the master of black and white color schemes with bright pops of color!

She uses black and white chevron patterns a lot too! See the rug above and the amazing floor below-

This is a room Mary designed on Million Dollar Decorators. I am so obsessed with that floor.

Another great example of Mary’s layered black and white patterns.

She’s not afraid to throw in a little animal print here and there, and we hope she includes some in her line!

She really loves that zebra, and we do too!

Leopard wallpaper, so fab! Just wait until you see the whole room…

Wow, lots of leopard!

She includes stripes in a lot of her designs, so there are sure to be some in her Schumacher line. (And I do believe I see Schumacher wallpaper in the background!) I would just love for her to create a wallpaper line as well.

This room is girly in pink with chinoiserie accents. She frequently travels to Europe and the Far East, so we’re guessing that her line will contain ethnic prints and global influences.

We like to think that we’ve got her all figured out, but Mary McDonald is full of surprises. All we know is that her line is sure to be ahhh-mazing! I guess we will just have to wait and see in 2013!

The home show starts tomorrow, March 11th and goes through Sunday, March 13th at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. Anyone who has visited Cowboys Stadium before, knows what a huge monstrosity it is, so you can just imagine how many great things there will be to see in all that space.

Some of the highlights include-

-Gorgeous gardens by Texas Nursery and Landscape Association

-Tours of an “Idea Home” by Sandlin Custom Homes

-A room contest in which local designers have teamed up with celebrities (with proceeds going to The Salvation Army)

-Celeb presentations on the main stage

-Tours of Starpower’s Ultimate Man Cave

-Also….everyone’s favorite TV personality, Ty Pennington, will be at the show all day Saturday (his only scheduled home show appearance this year).

Jenny McCarthy has come a long way from her days as a co-host on MTV’s Singled Out (remember that one?)

We’ve seen her try nursing school, pose for Playboy, date Jim Carey, raise an adorable little boy, Evan, transform into a best-selling author from her parenting books and also become an activist for autism.

This month I was especially thrilled because there was a story in there that I particularly loved and it happens to be the house of someone you may have heard of before-

J Lo!

Her California home was designed by Michelle Workman and it is so incredibly dreamy! Just look how peaceful her living room is with all the gray-blues-

Lots of understated glamour!

What I loved most is how her home is a mix of high end pieces and affordable pieces (I hate saying high/low as it makes those low pieces come off as subordinate to the high!) These affordable pieces are certainly anything but inferior. I noticed immediately that her end table was Global Views’ Directoire table in brass and white marble and it looks like she also has the Global Views round Directoire table in the far left corner. Her accent table between the two chairs could quite very well be Arteriors (if not, it’s very similar to one they used to have).

Her custom klismos lounge chairs in the foreground of the photo are eerily similar to ones I’m getting custom-made for a client’s wine room as we speak. J LO and I must be on the same wavelength!

I would love to know what blue-gray paint colors she used. Anyone know? They are incredibly serene and mix beautifully with the cream and gold accents.

Also notice that they mixed golds AND silvers in J Lo’s home (a great way to add interest and warmth to an overall gray room)

Also, the designer chose to add dark wood on furniture pieces to “ground the space” and so that the room wouldn’t just float away!

Look at this kitchen! Not only is J Lo the Queen of Pop, but she’s apparently also the “Queen of Nailheads” too!

(The light fixture is another affordable, “to the trade” piece by Arteriors)

Oh the bedroom..(sigh). I’d love to rest my head at night here! It reminds me a lot of the guest bedroom that Jan Showers designed for Kimberly Whitman. Same elements- tufted lucite bench, peach wall color, white bedding, abstract art, drapes with valance that match the wall color, and white accent chair. The only thing that’s missing is the funky light fixture that J Lo added!

For more photos of her stunning entry, informal living room and dining room, pick up a copy of Veranda!